TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
NewtonGood afternoon
Natural hazards · Newton

Newton, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Newton comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 48 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Newton?

40
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Newton to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes36%Inland flooding33%Cold waves9%Heat waves7%Everything else15%
By hazard

What Newton faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Tornadoes

36% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Newton flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Newton, from FEMA’s records.

48paid claims since 1979
$252Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Midwest Flooding: 10 claims, $45K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Newton is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Harvey County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Newton

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Newton itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Newton.

Brought FEMA money into NewtonDeclared for Harvey County only
2024

Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$378K to the City of Newton for repairs
2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides

$437K to the City of Newton for repairs
2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$8K to the City of Newton for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$64K to the City of Newton for repairs
2013

Snowstorm

$24K to the City of Newton for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

$13K to the City of Newton for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$28K to the City of Newton for repairs
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$11K to the City of Newton for repairs
2005

Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding

$427K to the City of Newton for repairs
Harvey County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Newton

Newton and the towns around it

Newton: Moderate, mostly tornadoesMacon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDarlington: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Newton: Moderate, mostly tornadoesSedgwick: High, mostly inland floodingHighland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPleasant: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHalstead: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEmma: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGrant: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRichland: High, mostly inland floodingValley Center: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLakin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNewton: Moderate, mostly tornadoes NewtonNewtonMaconDarlingtonNorth NewtonSedgwick
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Darlingtonmostly inland floodingHigh
Sedgwickmostly inland floodingHigh
Maconmostly inland floodingModerate
Newtonmostly tornadoesModerate
North Newtonmostly tornadoesModerate
Newtonmostly tornadoesModerate
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Newton covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Newton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Newton. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Newton total about $5.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Newton, KSView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Newton is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map